


Just One Starsky

by Nicky_Gabriel



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: F/M, Gen, Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 18:39:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3702163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicky_Gabriel/pseuds/Nicky_Gabriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“If it makes you so unhappy, why don’t you ask your captain to partner you with someone else?” she suggested after their lips parted. She knew immediately that she had said something wrong, and she could feel his heartbeat quicken under her palm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just One Starsky

**Author's Note:**

> Written four years ago. Edited by Barb D. Published in Cabrillo Con Zine 2011. This story is het, however, if you don’t like slash, don’t read it.

Terry was almost finished preparing their late dinner when Dave appeared at the kitchen door. He leaned against the doorframe with a gentle smile, but it didn’t fool her—she could see how tired he was.

He was extremely tired. Desk duty was more exhausting for him than chasing robbers or murderers. Even though they had only known each other a few weeks, Terry could already read his body language pretty well. She had learned it wasn’t so hard when he let someone close enough.

Dave looked happy to see her, yet slightly worried about something.

“Hey,” he said with a smile reserved exclusively for her. That smile was something she had learned very quickly.

Terry put aside the spoon she was stirring the sauce with and came closer to him. “Hey, yourself.”

She welcomed his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. This had become their daily ritual. They just stood there, getting accustomed to each other after a whole day of separation. Terry had become something of a detective herself; she could tell where he had been all day by how he smelled. The sandalwood fragrance of his aftershave was almost impossible to distinguish among the scents of the station, his car, and the hospital lingering on his clothes.

“How’s Hutch doing?” she asked, leaning back and searching his face. She had never met Dave’s friend, but had heard a lot about him.

Dave caressed her cheek gently and finally kissed her. “He’s going home next week,” he said a moment later.

Terry frowned. Something was wrong. Something in his voice, in his eyes, almost screamed—I’m scared!

“Are there any complications?” she asked with concern.

“Complications?” He shook his head. “No, none. His doctor said that Hutch’s leg will recover completely. He was lucky—it was a clean break.”

“But something’s bothering you,” she insisted.

Dave ruffled her hair and smiled. “Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it now. I’m hungry.” He reached around her and looked into the pot.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She laughed, amused. “You have fifteen minutes before dinner’s ready.”

“What is it?” He lifted the lid, but she smacked his hand with the spoon.

“Something effortless.” She pushed him away. “I’m also tired, you know?”

Dave held her close. “Spaghetti’s effortless?” He gently bit her ear. “You taste terrific,” he added, but obediently went into the bathroom.

Terry looked after him dreamily. “You, too.”

*

“You really don’t like the desk duty they assigned you, do you?” Terry leaned over and brushed her lips lightly over Dave’s chin.

He looked at her with amused affection. “Hey, I needed to waste the energy I would have used chasing perps,” he answered, and it sounded almost as if he was serious.

She caressed his chest with her fingertips. They were both sweaty after their long and passionate lovemaking, and she loved the feeling of his hair under her palm.

“I’m glad you decided to waste it in my bed,” she murmured.

He kissed her slowly. For a while, she enjoyed his lips and what he could do with his tongue. They had dated for only a few weeks, but ever since they started sleeping together, she couldn’t get enough of him. He seemed to have the same problem.

“If it makes you so unhappy, why don’t you ask your captain to partner you with someone else?” she suggested after their lips parted. She knew immediately that she had said something wrong, and she could feel his heartbeat quicken under her palm. Even though he didn’t move, she suddenly felt like they were very far apart, as if they were in two separate words.

“Hutch and I don’t work with other partners,” Dave said, looking at her with a frown.

Is he afraid of something?

“Not even sometimes?” she asked bewildered.

“Never,” he repeated more firmly.

“What if—?” she started, but he put a finger over her lips.

“Never.” That time, he spoke almost soundlessly, but nonetheless, that was the end of the discussion.

They just looked at each other in silence for a moment.

“Are you always so faithful?” she asked hesitantly.

“I try,” Dave admitted.

Terry searched his face, feeling there was something more to that admission—something she had been trying to understand since she’d met him at Career Day at Marshal School last month. She felt a brief stab of jealousy. She had never met anyone who would make such a sacrifice for her. There was no denying how much this kind of work was killing Dave, and yet he was still giving up the opportunity to fight crime on the streets just because he didn’t want to work without his partner.

“I think I like it,” she said and kissed him again.

There was still some hesitation on his part, but it was the same thing she had noticed earlier that evening—as if he wanted to tell her something, but didn’t know how or when. She rested her head on his shoulder and, slowly tracking a scar on his temple with her fingers, she asked, “Something bothering you?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Dave admitted.

“Work?”

“No, it’s just... Hutch won’t be cleared for duty for about three more weeks,” he whispered.

“And you’re worried he won’t be able to take care of things all alone when he’s home?” she asked without even thinking about it. It was just a guess, but it felt right.

“You should be a detective.” Dave smiled at her.

Terry frowned slightly, surprised that she was right. “Well, considering you don’t have any more days off,” she said, resuming playing with the hair on his chest, “the only thing you can do is move in with him for a while. That way, you could keep an eye on him and catch up with all the time you’ve missed. I can see it drives you crazy that you can’t see him day and night.”

“You sure you’re real?” he asked in surprise.

She laughed. “Well, since I have never seen this Hutch, I’m not sure he is real, but I believe you. I can even help with cleaning and making his place livable again. I know you spend a lot of time there, but I don’t think you want to do all the chores.” Terry looked him in the eye and saw something she had never seen before. She couldn’t name it or grasp the meaning. She wasn’t even sure whether or not she liked what she saw, but it was gone a second later.

“I love you,” Dave said in a low voice. He threaded his fingers through her hair, caressing her cheek with a thumb.

Yes, she knew, but she also knew she wasn’t his only love. She wasn’t sure whether or not that troubled her, especially because she wasn’t sure she truly loved him yet. There was too much baggage attached to David Starsky to make any kind of love easy.

*

Terry was putting the last of the groceries into Dave’s fridge when the phone rang. She instinctively picked it up, but didn’t have a chance to say anything because the person on the other end of the line quickly asked, “Starsk?”

Starsk? Terry raised an eyebrow. She’d never heard that nickname before. Who would call Dave “Starsk?”

“No. Who’s calling?” she asked, intrigued.

There was a moment of silence. “Hutch. Uh, Ken Hutchinson.”

“Hutch?” She held the receiver tighter. This was the first time she had heard his voice, and it was completely different than she had imagined it to be. “Dave had to stay at work,” she explained.

He waited a beat before speaking. “You’re Terry, right?”

She smiled. “Yes, that’s me. Did Dave mention me?”

“Yeah.” It sounded as if he was smiling, too. “He does nothing but talk about you.”

Terry sat down on a kitchen chair, not wanting to break the connection.

“Really?” she asked, feeling warmth around her heart. Dave talks about me with his best friend. “Well, and here I thought he was talking about you all the time. Do you want to leave him a message?”

“No, not really. I wanted to ask him to bring some books for me. I forgot to tell him yesterday,” Hutch explained.

Terry really didn’t want this conversation to end. For the first time, she had an opportunity to find out about Dave’s mysterious partner, and she wasn’t going to waste the chance to get to know him better. For some reason, Dave had never asked her to go to the hospital with him to visit Hutch. Although she couldn’t understand it, she respected his wishes. And Dave had never said anything about Hutch asking her to visit.

“Oh. Well, I can do it,” she suggested. “If you tell me what you like, I can go to the library for you.”

There was silence again. “Actually, I have the books at my place,” he said.

“Oh. I see.” She tried not to let him hear her disappointment. “Okay, I’ll tell him to—”

Hutch didn’t let her finish. “I guess you could bring me the books. You know where I live?” he asked with some hesitation.

“Sure,” she said quickly. “Dave told me.”

“The key is over the doorframe, and the books are on the night table.”

She stared at the receiver, completely stunned. “Uh, Hutch?”

“Yes?”

“You leave your key over the doorframe?” she asked, surprised.

“Is that so strange?” Hutch laughed loudly.

“You didn’t grow up in the city, right?” Terry smiled.

“You sure you’re not Starsky?” Hutch joked.

“One is enough,” she said with affection.

Hutch paused. “Right; see you.”

“I’ll be there in an hour.” She put the receiver back and just sat there, feeling lonely for some unknown reason.

Would one Starsky really be enough for both of them?

*

After she finally found a place to park her car, Terry stood looking at the building. There were big letters painted across the front, spelling out “Venice Place.” The neighborhood was beautiful and looked exactly like someplace a friend of Dave’s would live. Trendy, yet comfortable. She took the stairs up. Sure enough, she found the key over the doorframe. Shaking her head in disbelief, she unlocked the door and entered the apartment.

And blinked in surprise.

She had expected to see something similar to Dave’s place, but she was completely wrong. Piano, easels, lots of flowers, a guitar, paintings, sculptures, candles....

Terry stood stunned and motionless, wondering if she had chosen the wrong door.

Who is this man?

She looked around again. Ah, there was proof—a framed photo of Dave and Hutch sat on a low shelf. She was in the right place.

Terry walked over to the shelf and smiled, seeing Dave’s face in the picture. She had never seen Ken Hutchinson before, but she had no doubt that the other man was Dave’s partner. She hadn’t expected someone like him. Hutch looked completely different from Dave, but that wasn’t the point. There was something in his eyes—an unusual sadness and warmth at the same time. The photo wasn’t all that unusual at first glance, except that Dave and Hutch were standing very close together. Dave had his fingers hooked through Hutch’s belt loops to keep him close.

Terry smiled. Yes, this had to be Hutch. She liked what she saw.

She made her way to the bedroom, and there was a pile of books on the night table. Terry picked them up. Salem’s Lot? She raised an eyebrow, surprised. The Little Prince? In French?

Now she was even more curious about him. She put the books into her bag. When she was leaving the apartment, she noticed a jacket that looked familiar. Dave had one just like that. There was also a pair of shoes that she was sure belonged to her lover. She frowned. Why would Dave leave clothes at Hutch’s house? On the other hand, there were clothes in Dave’s closet that looked too long in the sleeves or were definitely not his style. Maybe those were Hutch’s?

As Terry locked the door, she had another stab of jealousy. But this time, she wasn’t sure which one she was jealous of.

*

Terry hesitated before she entered Hutch’s hospital room. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. After all, he was just Dave’s friend. Deep down inside, she knew there was no “just.” Hutch was a lot more than a friend to Dave. Although she had never met him, she felt she already knew him almost as well as she knew Dave.

Terry hoped Hutch would like her, at least a little. If not, all three of them would not have an easy life. In the back of her mind, she knew if Dave ever had to choose between her and Hutch, there was no doubt who would be the winner in that competition.

“Hutch?” she asked, gaining courage and opening the door. There were three beds, but only one was occupied.

“Terry?” Hutch smiled when he saw her.

She closed the door and walked over to the bed. “I’ve got your books.” She put the set on the nightstand.

Hutch had a cast on his leg and looked pale, which wasn’t that surprising, considering he had been in the hospital for a month. She remembered Dave telling her that his leg had been crushed under his car. The doctors hadn’t been sure if he would be able to keep his leg at first. Now, they were hopeful because the bone was knitting cleanly, and with some therapy, he should recover completely—which was a miracle.

“Starsky knows you’re here?” Hutch asked into the uneasy silence.

She shook her head. “You have a nice apartment.”

“Starsky found it for me,” Hutch shrugged.

“But he didn’t design the interior,” she joked.

He laughed. “No, he didn’t.”

She pointed at the cast. “May I?”

Hutch handed her a pen. “You realize he’ll know you were here if you sign it.”

She just smiled mischievously. “At least neither one of us will have to explain it to him.” She read all the autographs that were already there. One of them caught her attention.

Property of David Starsky.

She touched the familiar-looking letters and looked up at Hutch. In his eyes, she saw the same affection she felt.

He blinked, apparently surprised that she was observing him. “Would you like to stay and wait for him?” he suggested. “Starsky called and said he would be late.”

Terry smiled and nodded. Maybe getting the three of them together as friends wouldn’t be that difficult.

*

Terry leaned against the door, watching Hutch. He was sitting on one of the benches on the terrace playing the guitar. He’d had the cast taken off a week ago. Dave was preparing dinner for them—two hours later than expected, but neither Terry nor Hutch minded. She had used the extra time to do some shopping, and Hutch had spent the evening reading a book.

Hutch looked like he was enjoying the quiet time strumming the guitar, and Terry liked listening to his music.

“You really don’t mind?” Hutch asked after he finished his last song.

“What?” She looked up, surprised.

“His work.” Hutch nodded toward the kitchen where they could hear Starsky cooking.

That was a difficult question, but she tried to find an answer. Luckily, the answer was an easy one.

“He is who he is because he’s a cop.” She shrugged. “As you are.”

Hutch looked at her soberly. “That’s the main reason most people leave, sooner or later.”

Terry sighed. “Helen?” she asked quietly.

Hutch looked at her in surprise. “He told you about her?” he asked huskily.

“Yes, he did.” She nodded. “You know, from the moment I met him I knew. I understand that what you do is dangerous. And I know that one day...he may not come back home. But some people are worth the risk. Could you give up on what you two share? Could you give up on him?”

Hutch didn’t have to answer. She could see it in his eyes. Never. Not for any price.

“He won’t leave you, either,” she assured him.

“You really don’t mind?” Hutch repeated the question.

This time, it took her longer to find the answer. “I don’t.”

Hutch looked at her like he was trying to search her face for something she couldn’t express in words. “Why?”

“Why?” Terry took a deep breath. She hoped she would be able to find the right words to explain. “You are my insurance.”

“Insurance?”

“You guarantee me that, if Dave loves me, he will never give up on me,” she whispered.

“I don’t understand.” Hutch shook his head.

“See, before he met me, you were a very important person to him. Now, I’ve became someone important, but he hasn’t left his previous life behind,” she said carefully, looking straight at him. “He didn’t change what was for what could be. That nothing has changed between the two of you is my insurance, that if he ever met someone who was as important as we are, he wouldn’t leave us for him or her.” She knew her answer was a tangled knot, but Hutch looked as if he understood.

“But something did change between Starsk and me,” he admitted.

They just looked at each other for a moment. She hadn’t known him before she met Dave; nonetheless, she trusted his judgment. “Maybe, but nothing that makes a difference to me.”

Hutch smiled at her. “Thank you.” He put down the guitar. “I know it’s not easy for you.”

“Some people are worth the effort.” She stood up and followed him to the kitchen. As a teacher in a school for mentally handicapped children, she had learned to believe that lesson every day. And Dave proved that he believed it was true every morning he went to work.

Yes, she and Dave could be together and include Hutch in their lives.

It might work, after all.

*

THE END


End file.
